Embers and Maple Leaves
by AbbeyMellarkAlways
Summary: Two tributes enter the arena, never expecting to forge a friendship. No time for friends in a fight to the death, right? But expectations are not always met...How will they deal with the arena and the people out to kill them? CURRENTLY ON HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: So this story is slightly different because in the books, there is a different tribute train for each of the districts, but I've changed it a bit, so in this version, there is one train for all of the girl tributes and one train for all of the boys. Give it a chance, it just works better for this story :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games, just this idea. All credit goes to the amazing Suzanne Collins :)**

I'd always imagined that a train ride would be bumpy and uncomfortable. I'd probably gotten that image from watching the rattly old cargo trains pulling out of District 11, full of fresh produce on its way to the Capitol. But this train ride is completely different; it's so smooth that if I didn't know, I'd never guess I was even moving. And it's different to my imagined train rides for another reason.

My name is Dawn Maple.

I am fifteen years old.

My home is District 11.

I am on a train, on the way to the Capitol.

I was reaped for the Hunger Games.

I am probably going to die.

I dig my fingernails into the velvety seat I'm sitting on and grit my teeth, trying to keep myself from screaming out loud. The rich purple colour of the couch is like nothing I've ever seen in 11. It's like violets intensified by one hundred, and it's almost making me sick. I shake my head. Trust the Capitol to take an image of something that I love so much, something that reminds me of home, and ruin it for me completely with their too-bright colours and general all-around insanity.

There is one other girl sitting in this car with me apart from the Peacekeeper standing at the door, the girl tribute from District 12 with dark hair and grey eyes like coal dust mixed with swirling snow. She's just staring at the floor with a blank expression on her pale face. She looks like she's already accepted her inevitable death. She also looks like she hasn't seen a proper meal in months. The dark circles under her eyes and her hollow cheeks give that away. I feel like I should say something to her, but I decide against it. She looks like she wouldn't answer anyway.

My mind is blank, apart from one thought running laps around my brain; _I might be dead in two weeks. _

We stop 10 more times, at each of the districts on the way to the Capitol. Each time we stop, a teenage girl gets on. They have varying expressions on their faces, but beneath each is one common emotion; fear. As hard to see as it is on some of them, it's definitely there. None of us really acknowledge each other. Why should we, when we'll be trying to kill each other in a few days?

Some girls go to use the bathrooms, some leave to visit the food train, some go to their own rooms. But I stay in my seat, as does the girl from 12. Staring out the window, I catch glimpses of the different districts as we speed by. The one I like the look of the most is 4, with its sandy beach and clear, sparkling ocean that's colour reminds me of my mother's eyes. I've never been to the ocean before. And I probably never will.

I twirl my dark, frizzy hair around my finger and think of the boy tribute from District 11, Reina Ivory. He's my age and he works in the fruit section of the harvest at home, same as me, but I don't know much about him. He seems to be quite shy and doesn't have many friends, as far as I know. He looked like he was about to pass out when his name got called, and when we shook hands, he gripped mine like a lifeline. I wonder how he's going on the boy tribute train.

The only girl that acknowledges me is the one from District 3. She steps onto the train with an expression I haven't seen yet; hope. Is she serious? Does she think she has a chance of winning, even after seeing the monstrous girls from 1 and 2? I shake my head. I should be thinking the same. Hope's the only thing I have left anymore, really.

I look up at her and give her a tiny smile. She returns it and comes to sit in the seat next to me.

"Ember Sorrows, District 3," she says, holding her hand out to me. Her voice is soft and musical.

I take her hand and shake it. "Dawn Maple, from 11," I say back.

She smiles at me again; a sad but hopeful smile. She's very pretty, this girl. Her hair is incredible; a beautiful reddish-orange colour, like a raging fire. But it's not a crazy, freakish, fake orange, like what you'd see in the Capitol. Ember's is beautiful and natural. Her eyes are lovely, those eyes full of optimism; bright green, and they remind me of a hair ribbon my little sister Rain owns. Cost me a week's pay to buy that ribbon for her birthday. But the ecstatic look on her beautiful little face was enough to make up for it a hundred times over. My heart skips a beat just thinking of home and my family. I shake my head to clear it and look back at Ember. I decide that I like this girl. She's got a friendly and open nature, not like any of the others, who are cold and hostile.

My thoughts are interrupted by a loud, echoing rumbling. Then, everything goes black. I hear several girls screaming from different parts of the train. I freeze when I feel a cold hand reach out and take mine.

**So, my friend and I came up with this idea, and Dawn's character is based off me, and Ember's character is based off my friend. So we'll take turns writing chapters in our own points of view. All chapters will be in this story. Please review and tell me what you thought, and if we should keep writing or not! Thanks for reading!**

**Abbey xx**


	2. Chapter 2

**A HUGE thankyou to everyone who has reviewed this story. Your comments are appreciated so much!**

**So this chapter is from Ember's POV, and it's written by UnrequitedObsession, my awesome friend! Hope you enjoy!**

I don't think anyone saw this coming. I mean, sure, we all knew that _this _was coming, this year's Hunger Games, but nobody expected me to get chosen. I certainly didn't.

My name has only been in 4 times. I never take supplies from the Capitol, people tell me it's not worth it. We have enough food to keep us alive, they say.

Still, here I am. Dressed in my mother's old reaping dress once again, hair tied back and facial features plastered into a smile; the Capitol cameras are surely trained on me.

The sun reflects off the polished Capitol trains, one train for the girls and one for the boys. I have to shield my eyes as I walk towards it. Matthew, the boy tribute from my district, takes my hand and we both wait until we are given permission to step onto our trains.

"You okay?" He whispers.

I laugh. "Yeah, sure. I'm just about to walk straight into my good old friend death. Perfectly fine. You know, him and me, we're really close. We do stuff on weekends all the time."

"Very funny." Matthew turns to me and crouches down to look into my green eyes.

"Ember, listen. You're the smartest girl in District 3, you'll surely be able to come up with something to fight of the others."

I shrug. "Sure, I can rewire and do all the things that are expected of a District 3 tribute. But Matthew, I can't use a knife or a bow and arrow! I can hardly chop up a chicken, let alone kill a human being."

"We'll see. When the time comes, I'll be there to help you get through this."

I nod. "Okay."

"I really believe you have a shot at this, Ems."

Suddenly the train doors slide open and two Avoxes separate me from Matthew and lead me into the train. I barely have time to glance back at him before the doors slide closed behind me and I am immersed in complete darkness. It's deadly silent for exactly 23 seconds; I'm counting in anticipation, and fear. Then, light floods my eyes, and I almost fell over in surprise when I see the sight in front of me.

Jewels and velvet surround me, sparkling in the light and dancing in my eyes. I can't move any part of my body, I'm frozen in shock. I've never seen anything like the royalty that I find myself in now. My gaze wanders across the other female tributes from the other districts. The girls from 1 and 2 are terrifying. They sit there with an almost boastful smirk on their faces, glaring at the other smaller girls like me. I immediately hate them.

I gaze over at a girl who doesn't look much older than me. Her dark brown hair looks magical under the crystals, but her ebony eyes reflect so much fear that I have to keep myself from running straight over and holding her hand to calm her down. She looks around and catches my eye, and I smile, hoping to seem less threatening than the Career tributes. I'm finally able to get my legs moving once more, and walk over to sit beside the girl.

"Ember Sorrows," I say, "District 3."

She gives a shaky smile and replies, "Dawn Maple… from 11."

Before I can say anything else, we are all plunged into darkness, and a lot of the girls scream. I flinch and put my hands to my ears. If they are scared of a bit of darkness, I don't know how they will survive in the arena. I reach my right hand out to cover Dawn's, hoping to calm her. We are in this together, after all.

Lights flicker on once again and my breath catches when I get a glimpse of the sight out the window. We are in the Capitol.

**Review and let us know what you think!**

**xx AbbeyMellarkAlways and UnrequitedObsession**


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